Adoption Records

by Ethan Cole
 
 
If you were adopted, or know someone who was, you already know how important adoption records can be. You are probably also aware of just how difficult it can be to gain access to them. There are numerous reasons why an adoptee would want to take a look at the legal documents surrounding their adoption. Sometimes it is just pure curiosity, but other times, adoption records may hold the answer with regards to a grave illness or disease.
 
In most states, these legal records do not fall under the Freedom of Information Act, and therefore are not accessible by the general public, and also includes those individuals who have been adopted, or are an adoptive parent. Luckily, the Internet has made it possible to bring an adoptee together with their biological families, if both sides are willing. This makes gaining access to adoption records unnecessary; since the adopted individual will be able to learn everything they want to know first hand.
 

Some individuals who were adopted as babies are unaware of their true place and time of birth, have no idea who their biological parents were, and might be unaware of important medical situations that were present at birth. Adoption records can provide names of people and places that may be of importance, as well as a wealth of additional information.

For those who are seeking detailed information concerning their birth, there are many avenues that can be taken. For example, The National Center for Adoption Law and Policy will be able to provide information regarding laws that govern the unsealing of adoption records. In addition to this resource, The National Adoption Clearinghouse offers information on such topics as access to adoption records, confidential intermediaries, reunion registries, adoption laws and information pertaining to the release of birth records.
 
Conducting a search on the World Wide Web using any of the major search engines, and typing in the term “adoption records” will yield about 330,000 results. Many of these results will link to organizations, agencies and the like who provide resources that will help you find the information you are seeking.
 
Another tool that is helpful when searching for information is pre-adoption records. While these records are not open to the general public, they are normally accessible by the adoptee, since it is this person’s information that the records hold. Pre-adoption records refer to records that were kept on an individual before a legal adoption took place. These records can include, but are not limited to, hospital records, court records, children’s service agency records and immunization records. Some of these records may hold the key to finding the actual adoption records.